FG says varsity lecturers can’t be paid for work not done; ASUU says students who resumed after ASUU strike will wait indefinitely as SAREP urge FG to pay full salary

The Federal Government has explained the rationale behind the payment of half salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU embarked on strike on February 14. Following a series of discussions with the government, coupled with a court order, the university lecturers ended the eight-month-old strike and returned to their classrooms on October 14.

However, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had vowed to invoke the no work, no pay on the aggrieved lecturers who had pressed home for a better welfare package for their members.

True to the government’s stance, ASUU members were paid half salaries for October, a situation that drew criticism from both the varsity teachers and the newly registered Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics (CONUA).

In a statement, the Federal Government said ASUU members were paid their October salary pro-rata, noting that they cannot be paid for work not done.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, also dismissed media reports that the government was biased in paying the university teachers.

“They were paid in pro-rata to the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action,” the statement partly read.

“Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”

According to him, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, never directed the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the university lecturers half their salary.

The ministry equally faulted a statement by the Chairperson of ASUU, Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) branch, Muhammad Al-Mustapha, accusing Ngige of biased payment of salaries to selected professional members of the union.

Oshundun added, “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike.

“The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.”

Students who resumed after the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) called off its strike will wait without being taught, some lecturers have said.
This is a result of the payment of half salary to lecturers who were expecting a backlog of eight months.

In a statement, Lazarus L. Maigoro, Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of ASUU, said lecturers have withdrawn all academic activities in the institution over non-payment of their eight months backlog.

He said the students who has already resumed would have to wait until their withheld salaries were paid.

Maigoro alleged that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave directives that members of the union should not be paid fully.

“One of the issues agreed at the meeting was that 50% of the backlog of eight months’ arrears of our withheld salaries will be paid to our members immediately but as at the time of writing this press release, only 17 days prorated October salary was paid to our members by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

“Having stayed for about nine months running now, our members in the University of Jos considered this an insult to them by the Accountant General of the Federation.

“From all indications, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has personalized the matter between him and our union and is on a mission for vendetta.

“In view of the bottleneck placed by Ngige towards paying our members the backlog of our salaries, the congress of ASUU University of Jos met today 4th November 2022 and resolved to stay at home, though not on strike until the backlog of the withheld salaries is paid.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our members are back to work, willing and ready to work but are unable to work. Based on the revised academic calendar for the 2020/2021 session approved by the senate of the University, lectures should have started already but the challenge of lack of payment of salaries has constrained our members from going to the classroom to teach. What this implies is that the students who have resumed already will have to wait indefinitely while we wait for our withheld salaries to be paid to us, unfortunately.”

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to direct the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige to immediately reverse the deduction in the salaries of university lecturers.

The Federal Government paid half-salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for the month of October 2022. Some professors reportedly received salaries ranging from N71,000 to N121,000 for October.

Justifying the decision, Ngige said ASUU members were paid their October salary pro-rata. Pro-rata was done because the lecturers cannot be paid for work not done.

But in a statement on Sunday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) knocked the Federal Government for not paying the varsity teachers in full.

SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, also asked President Buhari to direct “the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh to immediately reverse the apparently illegal deductions from the salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for October 2022.”

The rights group wants the Federal Government “to pay ASUU members full salaries for the duration of their strike action.”

“Paying half salaries to ASUU members solely for exercising their human rights is patently unlawful and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international standards,” the statement read.

“The alleged deductions from the salaries of ASUU members also amount to punishing them for exercising their right to strike.”

“The deductions are illegal and disproportionate. The deductions may also be construed as a deliberate attempt to take away the right to strike, and to make ASUU a lame duck.”

“The right to strike implies the right of workers not to be punished for striking. ASUU members do not, therefore, forfeit their salaries because they exercise their right to strike.”

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of this letter’s receipt and/or publication. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our requests in the public interest.”

“Illegal deductions from the salaries of ASUU members may also violate the right to work, and to respect the dignity inherent in a human being.”